Remaining true to artisanal methods of production, the family has fundamentally transformed Grappa and made it a symbol of the Italian art of living.

The first thing you notice when meeting the Nonino family is its incredible energy. An energy so powerful that it feels like being drawn into a whirlwind. After a few minutes, you realize that it is not energy that animates them, it is ideas. Ideas so advanced that you cannot help feeling a step behind, always trying to catch up. People will tell you that meeting the Noninos changed their lives forever, that encountering this legendary family is a transformational experience.

This column is the last of twenty-three installments which aim to shed light on the various factors that influence the style and quality of a wine. With this issue, I want to share my approach to tasting wine and hopefully embolden wine lovers and students, even those pursuing the Master of Wine title, to approach the task with confidence and a sure strategy.

It might seem obvious to many that, when it comes to wine, style and quality are two distinctively separate concepts. Yet, many wine critics and bloggers still confound these issues as if they are one and the same. Until now, this column has begged to differ.

As we saw in our last column, three main factors influence the style and quality of wine: grape variety, human contributions and the overall growing conditions, including heat, sunlight, water, and nutrients. This column attempts to describe how soil impacts these conditions and why it is often considered the most important element of “terroir.”